NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest volume decliners on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. Asia Pacific Fund: Approximately 100 shares changed hands, a 98.6 decrease from its 65- day average volume. The shares fell$. 11 or 1.0 percent to $11.44.

NEW YORK— A look at the 10 biggest volume decliners on New York Stock Exchange at the close of trading:. American Realty Investors Inc.: Approximately 200 shares changed hands, a 94.5 decrease from its 65- day average volume. The shares rose$. 06 or 1.2 percent to $5.20.

There's a cynical stock market adage that bad companies make for good trades. It's a bit of trading knowledge that can help investors identify stocks where even if the long-term outlook is promising, short-term management mistakes offer trading opportunities.

Everyone loves triumph in the face of adversity (as evidenced by the "Lin-sanity" currently gripping the nation) so it's hardly surprising that investors are enjoying the tech sector's rebound after a moribund 2011.

Huntington Bancshares and BB&T on Thursday both reported strong fourth-quarter loan growth, but suffered major declines in fee income following the Federal Reserve's implementation of the Durbin Amendment on Oct. 1.

When investors think banks and technology, they think Bank of America and Google. With 43 constituents of the Standard & Poor's 500 reporting quarterly results in the coming week, most of them financial and technology companies, Bank of America and Google could end up being the most important earnings reports to watch on Thursday.

Homebuilder stocks have jumped as much as 45 percent over the past three months. But the question remains whether it's a fragile rally based on overly optimistic expectations for the economy or an early sign that a sustained real estate recovery is in the offing.